Beauty and the Beast
by Spazzumtard
Summary: Once upon a time, there was a good widowed King. An evil lord attacked the King's castle, bent on taking over the kingdom. The evil lord set off a machine that affected everyone in the castle, leaving the King's son their only chance of things returning back to normal. - Ferbella. Loosely based off of Beauty and the Beast.
1. Chapter 1

Beauty and the Beast

As promised! New Ferbella story! Multi-chapter too. :)

Unlike some of the Beauty and the Beast fanfictions in other fandoms, this is not word-for-word from the Disney movie script. It is only **loosely based** off of the movie/fairytale, so there might be some twists you find a little surprising (nothing to radical, I promise).

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Phineas and Ferb or Beauty and the Beast.

* * *

"Sir Francis, Sir Peregrin. What news to you bring?" King Lawrence of Fletcher inquired of his Constable and Grand Master of the Knights.

It is dreadful, I'm afraid Sire," Sir Francis Monogram replied. "Sir P. –er, Sir Peregrin. Please tell His Majesty your report."

Sir Peregrin stepped forward and bowed. "Magesty. It is Lord Doofinshmirtz—."

King Lawrence leaned forward, his face clouded with concern. "What do you know of his current plans? How should we defend against him?"

"You caaan't" a voice sang, seemingly coming from nowhere. Suddenly a burst of black smoke filled the throne room, immobilizing everyone inside. As the smoke cleared, a figure was standing between the King and the two military men. Next to him was a large object covered with a sheet. "You guys like that?" the man asked. "I thought it was good. More dramatic."

"Lord Doofinshmirtz!" the King exclaimed, his lips being the only thing he could move. "Release us at once!"

Doofimshmirtz raised a hand to his chin. "Hmm, no. You see, you're trapped. You can't do a thing about what I'm going to do." He grinned happily.

"And just what are you going to do?" Sir Francis asked.

"Behold!" Doofinshmirtz announced. ("pause for dramatic affect") He tore the sheet away, revealing, "The Change-inator!"

Gasps came from around the room at the sight of the very unusual object—similar looking to a miniature trebuchet, but more advanced and very complicated looking.

"You see, with this I can change all of you into unimportant objects or animals. Then, with you out of the way, I will finally take over your kingdom! Muahahah!" Doofinshmirtz threw his hands up into the air, laughing manically. Suddenly, Sir Peregrin launched himself a the evil lord, cutting his laugh off with an "oof!"

"What?!" Doofinshmirtz exclaimed, dodging fists. "But the paralyzing powder should have made you immobile for another two minutes! There was plenty for the three of you!"

This King's eyes widened and shifted towards a grate in the wall at his side. Through the darkness, two blue eyes stared back at him.

Sir Francis's own hands had begun to loosen, but before he could move more of himself, Doofinshmirtz threw Peregrin off of him and scrambled forward towards his medieval machine. "Gotta aim it. Gotta aim it before it wears off completely," he said over and over.

Sir Peregrin was slow getting to his feet. By the time he had started to run towards the evil lord, it was too late. His vision exploded in a poof of blue dust.

As the dust settled, everyone could see a small figure laying on the ground. "Gotcha!" Doofimshmirtz yelled. "Let's see you stop me now that you're a platypus."

The animal got up and shook its head. He looked around the room in confusion, his blank and unfocused eyes landed on Sir Francis, who barely whispered, "Sir P.?" Instantly black eyes focused and narrowed on the still laughing Lord Doofinshmirtz.

Running was a little difficult at first, being on all fours, but he soon got the hang of it. He leaped, landing on the inventor's back and ramming his head into his machine, dazing him.

The paralyzing agent wore off enough that the King and the constable were able to move again (though it felt like they were walking through mud). Both stood over the downed man. "Lord Doofinshmirtz," King Lawrence said. "You are hereby under arrest for crimes and conspiracy against the Royal family." He turned to Sir Francis. "Take him to the dungeons. And ask the Mage to come here at once to look over Sir Peregrin."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

As Lord Doofinshmirtz was being dragged from the room, the King looked down at the man-turned-platypus. "Do not fear, Sir Peregrin. The Mage is one of the best there is. She will be able to change you back. But for now, let us see to my son."

To the platypus's confusion, the King walked to the corner of the throne room. He bent down and lifted a grate from the wall. Looking inside, the King said, "Ferbason. You should know by now not to spy on the throne room. Come out now."

Peregrin crawled over to the hole and peered inside. The young Prince was indeed sitting inside. He had tears in his eyes, but did not move. "I—I can't," he said.

"Why not?"

"I—I can't move." The paralyzing agent hadn't worn off his smaller body yet.

"Oh my son." The king bent down. "I will try to pull you out, alright?"

"Yes father."

King Lawrence reached into the hole and found the Prince's arm. He gently tugged until Ferbason was free. The King laid him on the floor near the throne. "The affect should wear off soon, my son. Just lay still until then."

The door opened, emitting Sir Francis and a beautiful young woman. "Madame Vanessa, Your Highness," the Constable announced.

The Mage was filled in on what had happened, but when she looked over Sir Peregrin, she could not change him back to human. "My mother might. She is stronger and more knowledgeable than I am," she told them.

"Where is she? I will have the Herald fetch her," the King said.

"You cannot fetch her. She comes to you. I do have a way of contacting her. I will begin immediately," Vanessa offered.

"Yes, do that. Sir Peregrin is our best Knight. We must get him back." King Lawrence agreed before dismissing her. Sir Francis took Peregrin with him, leaving the King and the Prince alone in the Throne room.

Ferbason laid there while his father was lost in thought, staring at the machine curiously. How did it work? He wondered. His eyes narrowed—a small pillar of smoke was rising from the machine. The feeling in his face had returned, so he tried speaking in order to warn the King. "Father?"

He turned to look at his son. "Yes—"

The machine exploded and the world went black.

* * *

Madame Charlene appeared in the entryway of what appeared to be an empty castle. "Hmm," she thought as she walked towards the throne room. There were no guards outside, so she pushed open the door. Inside was empty as well, except for a dog on a pillow in the corner. "Strange," she murmured, turning away from the room.

She didn't see the dog get up and follow her as she traveled down the corridors to her daughter's room. "Vanessa?" she called as she entered. There was no answer, so she called again, louder. "Vanessa!"

"Mother?" a faint and slightly garbled voice answered back. "Is that you?"

"Where are you, child?"

"Look at the mirror."

Madame Charlene did so and gasped. "Vanessa! What happened to you?"

The floating head in the mirror huffed. "The evil Lord Doofinshmirtz attacked the castle with a 'change-inator'," she explained. She told her mother what she knew of what happened earlier that day. "Right after I contacted you, I heard an explosion. I threw up a shield, but it didn't help. When I woke, I had become a part of my magic mirror, as you can see, and everyone had vanished."

Charlene's eyebrows furrowed, deep in thought. A movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention and she smiled. "I don't think anyone really vanished," she said as she stood.

"What do you mean?" Vanessa asked, watching her mother walk away. She bent down and picked up something. "A dog?" the younger mage asked.

Madame Charlene put a finger against the dog's forehead for a moment, looking through its thoughts and memories. When she returned to reality, she said, "This is not just a dog, Vanessa. This is Prince Ferbason."

Vanessa gasped. "The Prince?!"

"Yes. He was there throughout everything you told me. He saw Doofinshmirtz with his, ahem, 'change-inator'. It wasn't designed just to turn people into animals, like you thought. It also turns people into objects. I believe when it exploded, it affected everyone in the castle," the Mage explained.

"Oh no," Vanessa said mournfully. "Can you undo it?"

Madame Charlene sighed sadly. "No, I cannot."

Her daughter choked back a sob. "So we are stuck like this?"

Charlene had an idea, but she didn't really want to say it until her daughter said that. "There might be _something_ I can do. But it might not work."

"What is it?"

She responded a little reluctantly. "I might be able to overcome it with a…curse."

"A curse?!" Vanessa exclaimed. "But that's dark magic! We swore never to use that!"

"I know," Charlene said. "But it is the only thing that has a shot at changing things back to normal."

Vanessa didn't want to agree, but knew if her mother said so, there really was no other choice. "Alright."

Madame Charlene pet the dog-prince behind his ears. "I am going to have to tie the curse to the Prince. You will need to assist him as much as you can. The magic will only be active until his majority—his 21st birthday—then everything will be returned to how it is now."

"Yes Mother. What do we need to do to break the curse in time?"

"He will need to fall in love and be loved in return," she said, looking sadly at the dog who was basking in the attention her fingers were giving his ears. "It will be difficult for him. He won't be fully human, nor will he be a dog as you see now. But, once it is broken, _everyone _will become human again."

And so the Mage set the curse upon the castle and upon the Prince. As she wove her magic, the dog began to glow and grow. A rose formed underneath her daughter's magic mirror. Charlene spoke tiredly as the magic drained out of her, "The rose will be your deadline. He must fall in love before the last petal falls, or the curse will never be broken."

"Mother!" Vanessa yelled as the elder mage faded from sight. The price to pay for breaking the vow to never use dark magic.

The glow vanished from the Prince and Vanessa gasped. No longer a dog and not quite human, he was a beastly mix of the two. "Wha-what happened?" he wondered aloud.

Vanessa explained it all, from what happened with Doofinshmirtz to the curse and how to break it. As she spoke, all around the castle various objects and small animals regained their consciousness they had as humans. Word spread quickly through the castle of the curse and how to break it.

The more Ferbuson thought of the curse and the pressure that was now on him to break it; he fell deeper into despair and hopelessness.

After all, who could ever love a _**beast**_?

* * *

**Characters**** Mentioned**:

King Lawrence - Lawrence Fletcher

Sir Francis Monogram - Major Francis Monogram

Sir Peregrin (Sir P.) - Perry the Platypus (Agent P.)

Lord Doofinshmirtz - Dr. Doofinshmirtz

Prince Ferbuson - Ferb Fletcher

Madame Vanessa - Vanessa Doofinshmirtz (not Doof's daughter in this story)

Madame Charlene - Charlene Doofinshmirtz

* * *

So how was that for a way to describe the curse on the castle/Ferb?

Also, I tried to give you a Doof fix in this chapter, because you most likely won't be seeing him in the rest of the story (that's still up in the air though).

OH! Before I forget. Should I edit this to make it a story being told to the kids by grandparents? I can do so easily, so let me know your thoughts in reviews! Reviews make updates faster!


	2. Chapter 2

Here is chapter 2. Sorry it took me so long. :)

Like I said in the previous chapter, this is not word-for-word from the Disney movie script. It is only **loosely based** off of the movie/fairytale, so there might be some twists you find a little surprising (nothing to radical, I promise).

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Phineas and Ferb or Beauty and the Beast.

* * *

"Good morning, Isabella. Are you here to buy some of my bread?" the baker asked the twenty-year-old girl with a wry smile.

Isabella chuckled. "I'm afraid I can't right now. But I will be by to pick some up on my way home."

The baker grinned brightly. "I have some in the oven now. Come by in about an hour and they will be nice and hot."

"Thank you sir," she replied. "I will."

"So where are you off to?"

"I'm going to meet with Gretchen. We were planning to go gather some berries."

The baker nodded. "Have fun, but be careful of wild animals."

She nodded and waved goodbye. Many other townsmen waved and shouted hello to her as she walked down the streets. She hummed to herself as she turned up a road towards her best friend's house.

"Gretchen!" she yelled when she saw her friend sitting on the front step, reading a book.

The light-haired brunette looked up from her book and smiled. "Hello Isabella." Gretchen placed a piece of paper in her book to save her place and stood up. They shared a hug.

"All ready to go?" Isabella asked.

"Yes," Gretchen answered, picking up a basket. Together they began their trek to the hilltop that held the best berries around town.

"Let's go this way," Isabella said, tugging on Gretchen's arm and heading back towards the town.

"But why? Going around the merchants will get us there faster. We won't have to walk through the crowds," Gretchen pointed out.

"I know…I just…"

Gretchen frowned and crossed her arms. "You just want to go by the Carpenter Shoppe, don't you?" Isabella's squirming gave her the answer. "Please don't tell me you are still caught up on Phineas Flynn. He's not interested in anyone."

Isabella pouted, but argued back. "He'll notice me one day. You just watch." Her eyes took on a dazed dreamy glaze. "Then we'll get married and live happily ever after."

Gretchen scoffed, "Don't be so sure of that. Every unattached girl in town is vying for his attention."

"That's not true!"

"Oh, you're right. There is one who isn't. But since she _is_ his sister it'd be a little weird if she was." Isabella huffed but gave no response. "I just don't want you to put all of your hopes and dreams on him until he _has_ noticed you." Gretchen put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I just don't want to see your heart break. I'm just being realistic."

"Well don't!" Isabella stated defensively. "Be a friend and tell me it's all going to go the way I've been dreaming about since I was 10."

"But it might not. Logically, there are too many unknowns. He might like someone now or fall for someone later, or you might even fall for someone else. Just don't tie yourself down to him until he shows he's ready." Gretchen noticed Isabella's face was turning red and decided to drop it. "So what are you going to do with the berries that we pick?" she asked, beginning to walk down the path that went _around_ the town.

Isabella took a deep breath—if Gretchen was going to let their conversation go, she could too. "I'm going to make a custard pie for my mom. She comes home today."

"That's right. When she gets here let me know how the capitol city has changed, will you?"

Isabella nodded. "I will. You know, my mom said I can go with her next time she has to go to the city. You could come with me—it would be an adventure," she finished, her eyes sparkling at the thought.

Gretchen shook her head, laughing. "Oh no, I will stay right here with my books. I don't need a real adventure. Besides, why go out into the world when we have everything we need right here in the village?"

The dark haired girl just shrugged, knowing there was no way she would be able to convince her best friend to go on an adventure without physically forcing her to go. Someday, she herself would go on worldwide adventures, meet new and exciting people, and see some of the world's most beautiful sites. When Phineas finally took notice of her and they got married, he would take her to see all those things.

She just had to wait a little bit longer.

* * *

While Isabella was daydreaming and picking berries with her friend, her mother was getting lost. "I must have missed the turn," Vivian muttered to herself, looking around the rather creepy woods she was in. "Come on boy, let's turn back." She tugged the reins to the side, turning the horse around on the narrow path. A howl in the distance caused both the horse and rider to start. Vivian tightened her legs around the animal's sides, spurring him forward at a faster pace. "Let's get out of here," she said.

Just a few minutes later, another howl sounded—much closer than the first. Vivian found herself holding the reins tighter when another responded. She leaned forward in the saddle and the horse started to run from the unseen wolves. Over the sound of hooves on the path, she could also hear sharp breathing and claws scrambling behind her.

Tears formed in her eyes from worry that she might not make it back home to Isabella when off the side of the path she saw a gate. It was overgrown with vines, but it looked like it would still open. Doing the one thing her father told her never to do with a running horse; she jumped off his back and pulled him to the gate. She flipped up the handle and, with some groaning and squealing, the gate opened. They hurried inside and she quickly closed it just as a wolf hit the bars. She fell backwards in fear.

As Vivian was scrambling to her feet, the wolf snapped through the gate at her cloak, snagging it in its jaws. Tearing it off of herself, she shivered as the adrenaline pumped through her body. With a shaking hand, she grabbed the horse's reins again and started walking up the path. As the two turned around a tree, the castle fell into view.

It was frightening to look at—dark with no lights in the windows. Very uninviting, but Vivian pressed forward. She climbed the stairs to the door and hesitated. Should she knock? Just in case? She did, rapping her fingers against the hardwood three times. She waited a minute before pushing the door open.

"Hello?" she yelled out. "Is anyone here?"

There was no response. She pulled her horse inside, out of the cold wind (a definite no-no if there _were_ someone there). She figured they could stay for maybe an hour before leaving—that is, if the wolves have gone by then. Vivian tied the horse to a broken banister and began looking around curiously.

She had never heard of a castle near her village (granted the village was relatively new—5 years? Maybe more), although she did know about the abandoned city that the town now sat on. The mayor never said anything about the old city—just that it had been abandoned a few years before they had settled there.

Vivian thought that the mayor was hoping that the village would grow, then he could gain a more powerful position, but she liked to give people the benefit of the doubt. Although, now that she thought about—surely someone in any of the nearby cities would know about what happened here. Maybe she would ask them next time she visited one.

That is, if she made it out of here alive.

A rattling—beads?—interrupted her thoughts. She looked around, startled. "Hello?" she called softly.

A hum of music.

Vivian looked at the door the noise had come from. She was shaking again. What if there was someone here? She was trespassing, but if she explained herself, they would understand her predicament.

Right?

Her hand rested on the handle for a moment and she thought she could hear voices through the door. She twisted the handle and opened the door with a creak.

Silence.

"Hello?" she stuttered out. "Is someone here? I'm sorry for intruding, but I was being chased by wolves and I would just like to get back to my daughter in the village."

There was no response for a minute and she started to feel a little foolish for speaking to an empty room when all of a sudden lights flooded the area. She blinked the spots out of her eyes and looked around the room.

It used to be a throne room, she guessed. An ornate throne stood in the center. On the floor beside it was—she blinked. _Strange_. On one side was an abacus and on the other was a concertina. That really made no sense to Vivian.

She felt like she was being watched and she looked around the room for another person, but didn't see one. The feeling wouldn't go away and she was getting uncomfortable. She started to turn around to go back to her horse and maybe see if the wolves had gone, but a voice stopped her.

"Why did you come here?" it asked.

Vivian looked around again, her gray-streaked black hair flopping out of the bun it was in. "Who—who is there?" she stuttered.

A movement caught her attention and she looked back at the throne. Her eyes widened in shock and fear.

The throne was scowling at her.

IT HAD EYES!

A gap opened between the cushion and the rest of the chair—a mouth. "I asked you a question. Now answer!" it ordered.

"I—I was…being chased—"

"By wolves, we heard," another voice, gruff this time, said. She looked down and saw features form on the concertina. "Why did you come into the castle?"

"I—um…shelter…and…warmth…"

"You are trespassing. Take her to the dungeons!" the throne announced.

Suits of armor on either side of the door came alive and walked clumsily towards her. She started to scramble away, back towards her horse, but the suits were fast. They grabbed her arms and force-walked her to the dungeons. She shouted, "No! Please! I have to get back! My daughter!"

Her cries died as the doors closed again. The abacus hopped around to face the throne. "Your Majesty, are you sure that throwing her into the dungeons is the right thing to do?"

The throne scowled. "Are you questioning my orders?"

"No my king," the abacus said, bowing with surprisingly flexible wood. "But she mentioned a daughter…"

The concertina folded itself over until it was standing next to the abacus. "Get to the point, Baljeet."

The abacus (Baljeet) frowned at the concertina—beads falling into a V. "I will if you would not interrupt me, Buford," he said.

Before the two could get into a fight, the throne coughed, getting their attention. "Baljeet, I believe that I understand what you are saying." The abacus smirked at the concertina. "Buford, find the horse. Send it back to the village to find the trespasser's daughter. Bajeet, speak with the Ladies. Get a room prepared for our prisoner. You were correct that putting her in the dungeons is not right."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the two said, bowing and hopping/folding out the door.

The throne raised its eyes and looked at the ceiling. "Maybe this is what we have been hoping for."

* * *

Should I make a list of characters from PnF who are based on BatB characters who are in each chapter for you? I had some ask me about who is who in future chapters so I thought I would ask. :)

Buford (concertina-and if you don't know why then you really shouldn't be reading Phineas and Ferb Fanfiction) - Master Groundskeeper  
He takes care of all the outdoors of the castle: Stables, gardens, travelers, guards, landscaping, etc.

Baljeet (abacus-because it fit him) - Master Steward  
He takes care of all the indoors of the castle: servants, living/guest quarters, interior decor, organization, etc.

I made them to be of equal but different ranking. They both think they're job is more important than the other's, but they are still (almost) best friends. I did this to keep them close to the same lovable characters they already are.

More interaction between the coming soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I decided to change something last minute, so there was a little edit in the last chapter. Vivian wasn't put in the dungeons-at least not for long.

Also, Baljeet didn't end up writing a note saying that Isabella's mom needed her help. Those are the only edits. No much, but it could make someone confused if they didn't know. :)

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Phineas and Ferb or Beauty and the Beast.

* * *

"Hi Phineas," Isabella said, waving coyly. "What'cha doin'?"

"Oh, hi Isabella," Phineas Flynn replied, distractedly, drawing plans on some parchment. "I'm just working. Mom wants to get a crib finished before Aunt Tiana has her baby."

"Oh, that's right. Bob and Tiana are having a baby." Isabella said. "When is she due again?"

Phineas shrugged. "I don't know. Towards the end of the year I think."

Isabella pouted—he still wasn't paying her any attention. "Will you tell me when the baby is born?"

"Of course. There will probably be a big celebration or something." Phineas said.

Isabella nodded and they sat in silence for a while (not that Phineas really noticed since he was working). She grasped for any kind of conversation starter. "So, what kind of wood are you going to use on the crib?"

Phineas looked up and his eyes started to sparkle, like they always did when it came to materials and building. "I'm going to build the base out of oak, but I'm going to try to mix cherry and ash in a pattern for the railings. I don't know what kind of pattern I'm going to do—maybe pinwheel or a simple checkerboard, but it will be fun."

Isabella nodded along and started drifting off in a daydream, just listening to his voice. She didn't really notice when he turned around, still talking, and pointed out some of the woods that were around. As he moved a bit away, she felt a nudge on her back and turned around.

Her mom's horse stood behind her. "Jack? What are you doing here? Where's Mom?"

Jack nudged her again and grabbed some loose clothing in his teeth, tugging her urgently. Isabella pushed his nose away, making him drop her sleeve. He turned and looked towards the forest and looked back at the young woman.

"What's wrong boy?" Isabella asked, staring into his eyes. "Is Mom in trouble?"

Jack tugged on her sleeve again. She forced him to let go and climbed on his back. "Okay Jack. Take me to her. Hurry!"

The horse bolted out of town, leaving behind a rattling redhead. Phineas felt the breeze left by Jack and turned around. "Isabella? Where did you go?" He looked around, but didn't see her so he shrugged and went back to work.

Isabella felt like it had been almost an hour but Jack didn't slow or stop until they reached a really spooky part of the forest where _no one ever goes_. He kept going deeper until Isabella saw an old iron gate. It was already open and together they walked up to the entrance of the castle.

Isabella couldn't help thinking, _How could no one know about this?_ She opened the door, wincing at the squeal. "Hello? Mom? Are you here?" she called. She crept further inside and called again, "Mom?"

She heard voices down the hall and walked closer. She looked around the corner, but didn't see anyone. The voices were further away though, so she thought that maybe they were walking ahead. She followed. As she passed a stairwell going down a light flickered from below and she decided to see what was there.

Dungeons. Isabella passed a few cells that stood on each side of her. Most were empty, but one cell did have a lawn gnome inside. _Why would someone lock up a lawn gnome?_ She wondered. Its eyes were creeping her out—they seemed to follow her. Nothing else was in the dungeons, so she left as quickly as she could.

Isabella started off heading back towards the entryway, checking in every door she passed to see if there was anything inside. She found nothing until she came across a couple of very ornate looking doors. Pushing one open, she saw who she was looking for. "Mom!" Isabella exclaimed rushing forward.

"Isabella?" Vivian asked, grasping her daughter's hands.

"You did come." Isabella spun around, looking for the speaker but didn't see anyone else.

Vivian pulled her daughter close and whispered in her ear, "It will be okay." Then she looked towards a throne that was on the opposite end of the room. "Please. Let her go," Vivian begged, much to Isabella's confusion. She was startled when the throne shifted, as if it was trying to get more comfortable.

"Silence," the throne said. "You are both trespassers, so now you are both my prisoners."

Vivian took a breath to try reasoning with him again, but a coughing fit took her over. Isabella raised a hand to her mother's forehead and gasped. She looked to the throne. "Please…um…sir? My mother is ill. She needs help."

The throne scowled. "And what would you have me do, girl? Release you both? No."

Isabella stood and stared boldly at the throne. "She needs help! She needs medicine and a doctor or she will die."

The throne shifted again. "Silence Girl! You are both prisoners," it said with finality.

Isabella looked back down at her mother, who was reaching for her. They grasped hands and Isabella took a breath. "If I promise to stay and be your prisoner with no argument, will you please let her go?"

Vivian stared at her daughter. "What? No. No! Isabella you don't know what you are saying!"

The throne ignored the elder woman. "Very well. She goes. You stay."

Isabella nodded. Vivian tugged her daughter down and hugged her tightly. "Please Isa, don't do this. I have lived my life."

Tears started to fall from Isabella's eyes. "I'm sorry Mom, but this is the only way."

"Take her to the village," the throne said to a suit of armor. The armor did as commanded, coming forward and taking hold of Vivian's arms. She tried to stay by her daughter but was taken away. Those in the throne room could hear her sobs. Isabella's own eyes filled with tears and her shoulders shook, trying to keep herself from losing control.

She did hear the throne call for someone. She didn't really notice anything until a feminine voice broke through her thoughts. "Madame?" Isabella blinked and looked around. She didn't see anyone at first, but when she looked down she saw a large book staring up at her. The book smiled and said, "Sorry to disturb you but I need you to follow me."

Isabella nodded and followed the hopping book out the door and up a flight of stairs. "Um…where are we going?"

"We are going to your room. Your mother stayed in the same one, but she worried so much and caused herself to become ill." The book looked sideways at her. "Do not think we did not take care of your mother while she was here. The King is not that harsh."

Isabella nodded feeling unsure. They stayed in silence until they got to her room. "This is where you will be staying," the book said. Isabella pushed open the door and looked around the elegant room in awe. It was amazing—a thick four poster bed, a large wardrobe, a writing desk, there was even a large window with a window seat that showed a beautiful sunset. "Is there anything else that you need?" the book asked.

Isabella thought about it. "Um…dinner maybe?"

The book nodded (can books _nod_?). "Dinner will be up in a little bit."

"Thank you…um…" Isabella trailed off. She didn't want to call the book…Book.

Sensing her thoughts, it smiled. "You can call me Ginger. My sister and I are both Ladies of the House."

Isabella nodded in thanks. "Ginger. My name is Isabella. Is your sister…also a…book?" she asked cautiously.

Ginger laughed, but before she could answer another voice spoke up. "Madame Isabella…?" the human girl turned towards the voice. The wardrobe had eyes as well, but she was getting used to that. The wardrobe smiled kindly at her. "I am not a book. My name is Stacy. I will be your personal Lady of the House while you are in your room." Stacy looked down at herself. "As a wardrobe, I'm too big to get around the castle easily, so Ginger will be your Lady of the House when you are elsewhere."

Isabella nodded again. "I understand."

Ginger smiled brightly, her eyes still filled with laughter. "I will send your dinner up as soon as it is done, Isabella. Sleep well."

"Thank you," she responded quietly.

Ginger the book left the room. Stacy looked the girl over before asking, "Do you want to get changed before dinner?"

Isabella looked at the wardrobe, startled. "Um…I don't have anything else to wear."

Stacy smiled again. "I figured as much. But I do have some dresses in here that might fit you." She opened her doors. A few dresses hung inside. Isabella came closer to get a better look. Seeing her hesitation, Stacy said, "I also have some night gowns in the second drawer." Said drawer opened and Isabella grabbed one, smiling.

"Thank you, Stacy." Isabella changed quickly and settled in at her desk, chair turned outward so she could still talk to Stacy. "Um…could you answer some questions for me?"

"Of course. What would you like to know?"

Isabella thought about how to phrase her first question. "Why…why are you a…"

"A wardrobe?" Stacy asked, grinning.

"Well…yeah," Isabella said sheepishly.

"Well, first of all we were all human once, as I'm sure you have guessed." Isabella nodded, saying nothing. "Some _moron_ decided to set off...something; I'm not really sure what it was, in hopes of taking over the castle and kingdom."

Isabella frowned. "There was a kingdom here?"

"Oh yes, a very nice kingdom. But after the—I'm just going to call it a Change. After the Change, the townspeople left. Just up and abandoned. I guess they were worried that the change would spread to them? I'm not sure." Stacy trailed off, deep in thought.

Isabella waited a moment. "Stacy?"

"Hmm?" the wardrobe looked at her. "Oh, sorry. Back to the Change. The man who set it off—and I call him a moron because it affected him too—was arrested and put in the dungeons."

Isabella remembered something from earlier that day. "Wait, is he the…lawn gnome…?"

Stacy laughed. "Yes. He is. Anyway, the Change wasn't just turning people into objects. It also changed a lot of the castle workers into animals. But a majority of the animals never regained their human mind and simply vanished into the woods." Stacy looked out the window. "I still think about them sometimes. I hope they are okay."

Isabella looked at her with compassion but didn't know what to say. They were interrupted by a knocking at the door. Isabella stood and opened it, letting in an abacus _somehow_ carrying a tray. "Dinner is served!" the abacus announced.

Isabella picked up the plate from him and set it on her desk. "Um…thank you."

The abacus grinned. "You're welcome. I hope you like it." It hoped back to the door, but before it left it said, "My name is Baljeet. I am the Master Steward here. If you need anything, just ask."

Isabella nodded her thanks, already eating. She hadn't eaten anything since breakfast except a few berries. Baljeet shared a look with Stacy, then left. Isabella looked back at Stacy when the door closed, silently asking her to continue her story.

"There are only a few of us that are still here. I'm sure a lot of them will introduce themselves tomorrow. You already know of the King and his guardsmen." Stacy looked at her seriously. "Don't go back into the throne room unless you are asked to. He is…_was_ a good king, but the change really affected him and you might find yourself spending the rest of your time here in the dungeon."

Isabella's eyes widened at the warning and she agreed emphatically. "Okay. I don't think I would want to go back in there anyway."

Stacy nodded, pleased she understood, then smiled sadly. "Out of everyone here, the Change affected the Prince the worst. You might see him around. He is…different." Stacy winced at that description. "Just…if you do see him, don't stare."

Isabella looked at Stacy over her cup in question. "What do you mean? How is he different?"

Stacy took a breath, thinking about how to answer but she couldn't figure out the right words to use. "I'll tell you tomorrow. You should get some sleep, it's really late."

Isabella's shoulders slumped at that brush off, but didn't push it. She pushed her empty plate to the side of her desk and got into her new bed. It was soft—very comfortable. Before Stacy blew out the lamp, she asked one more question. "Do you know if you will ever be human again?"

The wardrobe stilled then looked at the girl who was already falling asleep on the bed. "It's been a decade…but there is some hope." And with that, she blew out the flame.

* * *

So, how was my Phineas? :)

When I started planning this, I put him into Gaston's role, just switched the infatuation so that it was Isabella who wanted him. He's still the fun, talkative (when its about something he is interested in-girl talk like babies doesn't interest him) boy that we know and love. :)

Also you met Ginger and Stacy. They will kind of share the roles of Mrs. Potts, The Wardrobe, and The Featherduster from Beauty and the Beast.

Review please!

(PS: Doofenshmirtz as a lawn gnome. Teeheehee. ;D)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't know PnF or BatB.

* * *

Baljeet the abacus and Ginger the book gathered many of the living objects in the castle to tell them the news. "There is a girl in the castle!" Baljeet exclaimed.

"WHAT?!" said the chorus of objects.

"It worked?" the concertina asked, disbelieving. "Man that horse is smart," Buford muttered to himself.

The others ignored that comment in favor of talking excitedly about the girl. "Who is she? What's her name? Is she pretty? Is she nice? Will she break the curse?" So many questions were being thrown back and forth between the items/servants.

"We need to tell the Prince," Ginger said, looking around the group for a volunteer.

Silence.

Baljeet sighed. "Come on, he has to know or he won't do anything about it."

"What makes you think he will do anything anyway?" a voice asked.

Eyes traveled to the mirror hanging on the wall nearby. The face of a beautiful young woman looked back at them, her blue eyes displaying her skepticism. "What do you mean?" Adyson (a vase) questioned.

Vanessa sighed sadly. "Do you remember Ferb as a child? How quiet he was?" Many of the objects nodded, beginning to understand where she was going. "The Change amplified that by a ten-fold. Unless something truly drastic happens, he just won't put any work in to get to know her—or to let her get to know him."

"We need a plan," Buford stated.

"Yes, but first, we still need someone to tell the Prince about her," Ginger replied, turning to look directly at Vanessa.

Said brunette sighed. "Alright," she said. "I'm on it." And with that, she vanished.

* * *

Vanessa looked out the corner of her mirror, searching for the (often brooding) figure that was the former Prince. She found him in a corner, scratching a design of something on a piece of wood in the wall. Her eyes filled with sympathy—he was so creative. But, being a beast, it was hard to turn his designs into substance. She moved into the center of the mirror and cleared her throat to get his attention.

Prince Ferbuson looked up from the roughened wood. He didn't say anything, but his eyes asked what she wanted. "Good morning, Prince. I have news."

His voice was as rough as the wood. "What have I told you?"

She gave a small smile. "My apologies, _Ferb_," she said, emphasizing his nickname. Not many in the castle were comfortable calling him that, but it was what he preferred.

He nodded, satisfied, and motioned for her to continue. She took a breath, prepping herself to tell him about their visitor. "I'm sure you have heard about the woman that had stumbled into the castle."

He snorted. "Heard? She's already seen me."

Vanessa's eyes widened. "What? When did that happen?"

Ferb shrugged. "I was hungry. Went for dinner and she opened her door when I passed."

He sounded so bitter that she could just tell that the older woman had _stared_ at him in horror. He hated being stared at. In the beginning he had growled and snarled at the people who would stare (which probably had a lot to do with the town being abandoned).

Vanessa shook those thoughts away. "Anyway, Ferb. We have a new visitor." That caught his attention. "Her daughter—" she paused, watching him intently. He flinched. "Offered herself as an exchange so that her mother could go back to their village and get help for her sickness."

Silence filled the room. She stayed still, looking for any physical sign that he might take action. He stared at his scratches in the wood, growing tenser until suddenly his arm reached out and scraped deep claw marks through the newest design in rage.

Vanessa's shoulders drooped in defeat.

* * *

Isabella woke to a knock on her door. She blinked her eyes against the brightening room and looked at the closed door. It took a moment for her brain to boot up and remember where she was, but she called out "Come in," soon after.

The door squeaked open and Ginger the book hopped through. Behind her were a couple of other objects carrying breakfast. "Good morning, Miss Isabella," Ginger said. "Would you like some tea or some juice?"

Isabella stretched and blinked sleep from her eyes. "Juice please," she answered, still a little dazed.

A vase hopped forward and handed her a cup of orange juice. She smiled in her thanks and let the tangy taste wake her up more. She looked over the new crowd of objects with clearer thoughts and vision. There were only three others, besides Ginger, Stacy, and Baljeet. _I wish they would have come when I was more presentable_.

Stacy seemed to have guessed her thoughts and announced, "Alright, everyone out. You can come back in in about ten minutes after the Lady has had a chance to get dressed and eat her breakfast."

The other objects looked a little outraged but also embarrassed at the same time and filed out, most of them sending Isabella apologetic glances. The abacus that she met the night before—Baljeet—was being nudged by a concertina (of all things) and he was talking back. Well, lecturing back.

The door closed behind them and Isabella stood up from the bed. Her meal was left on the same desk as her dinner, but she turned to Stacy first. "Um…can I look through your dresses?"

Stacy smiled. "Of course, Madame." She opened her doors, showing the few dresses hanging inside.

"Please, it's just Isabella," the girl requested, picking out a soft pink casual gown. She slipped it on after removing her nightgown and looked into the mirror standing in a corner. She had never had something this pretty before. All of her dresses were very plain with mostly browns and greens—maybe a rare blue—but that was it.

"That is a lovely color on you, Isabella," Stacy commented. "It makes your eyes shine."

Isabella turned to look at the wardrobe and blushed at the compliment. "Thank you." Without saying anything else, she sat at the desk and ate her breakfast.

Approximately ten minutes later, another knock sounded at the door. Stacy called out, "Alright, you can come in now."

Ginger entered first, smiling sheepishly. "I tried telling them to wait until you were awake, but they all wanted to meet you," she said as the others walked/hopped in.

Isabella smiled at her, then at the rest of them. "Hello, my name is Isabella. What are yours?"

Baljeet hopped forward. "You already know me. This—" he gestured towards the concertina. "—is Buford, the Master Groundskeeper. He is in charge of grounds and the stables."

The concertina folded in what Isabella thought would be a bow.

Baljeet continued, "And these are Holly and Adyson—" A feather duster and a vase respectively. "They are both maids." The vase used one if her arms and knocked him over.

"We are more than just _maids_," Holly said, her feathers folding like she was putting her hands on her hips.

"Don't listen to him, Madame. He likes to feel important," Adyson told Isabella, who smiled behind her hand.

In what should have been impossible for such an object, the abacus folded nearly in half and stood back up. "That was not nice," Baljeet said.

"Yeah, but it was funny!" Buford said, and then pushed him over again laughing.

"Hey!"

Isabella giggled. "It's nice to meet you all," she said. "But please just call me Isabella." They all nodded in agreement. She looked at Buford and asked, "Did Jack go back with my mother?"

"Jack?" he asked.

"My horse."

"Oh." He shook his head. "No, he is still here. He is doing really good, eating healthy and everything. If you would like to see him, I will be glad to take you out to the stables later."

Isabella smiled brightly. "I would love to. Thank you," she said. Then she frowned in thought. "So…why are you a concertina?"

Buford stilled while the others burst out laughing. "That's….a long story."

Isabella grinned. "Alright, I won't push."

There was silence for a moment, no one really sure of what to say. Ginger spoke up, asking, "Would you like a tour of the castle, Isabella?"

Her eyes widened. "Really? I would love one."

The others said their goodbyes, leaving Baljeet and Ginger there to give the tour. They took her to the kitchens, introducing her to the chef (the stove). They pointed out the dining hall and the ballroom. Isabella was having a good time, learning a lot about the history of the castle, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She looked around for anything that had eyes, but saw nothing/no one.

She forgot her concern when they entered a room filled with tapestries, paintings, and more. Some were torn to shreds, but many were still filled with images of places she would give anything to see in person. She went from tapestry to painting, soaking up the colors and sense of adventures in each one. She paused at one that showed mostly the stars. Some had lines drawn between them, creating images against the dark sky.

She didn't notice Ginger and Balljeet sharing a glance.

She tore herself away from that one when another painting—a portrait—caught her eye. It was of one beautiful young woman with long, striking green hair. "Green hair?" she wondered out loud.

"It is a trait of those born with royal blood," Baljeet answered, startling her. She had forgotten they were there.

"Oh," she murmured, staring at the painting. "Who is she?"

"That was our late Queen," Ginger said. "She died long before the Change occurred."

Isabella didn't say anything to that. Just gave the painting one last glance then turned away.

* * *

High above the trio, tucked in a corner on the upper level where no one could really see him, Prince Ferbuson sat watching them. He was curious about this new visitor. His eyes followed the girl until they walked into the Gallery, where they fell out of sight. Ferb stepped out of the shadows and returned to his rooms.

Vanessa looked at him when he entered. She watched curiously when he when into his private chambers, wondering where he had been but didn't call out to ask him. After what had happened earlier when she told him about the girl, she wasn't sure how well he'd react to her questions.

He walked back out into the sitting room about five minutes later. Much to her shock, for the first time in nearly 10 years, he was wearing pants. They were torn to pieces and the seams seemed to be straining, but they fit for the most part.

"Ferb?" she said, silently asking him what was going on.

He looked up at her, tying some rope around his waist like a belt. When he saw her questioning eyes, he shrugged. "She's probably going to run into me at some point. I might as well not frighten her away by wearing nothing."

Vanessa nodded with a small smile, understanding what he was implying.

He wasn't completely void of hope like he wanted everyone to believe.

* * *

The tour continued with Baljeet and Ginger pointing out different rooms. They passed a stairway, but neither said anything about what was up there much to Isabella's confusion. So she asked, "What is up that way?"

Both objects shared a look that wasn't missed by Isabella. Before she could ask, Baljeet answered. "That way is the Prince's chambers. No one is allowed up there without an invitation."

"Even we can't go up there unless he asks for us," Ginger finished.

Isabella looked up in that direction. "The Prince, huh?" she murmured.

"Yes, but…" Baljeet struggled to find some way to distract her. "Let's get you some lunch then see if Buford can give you a tour of the grounds. You can go see your horse too."

Isabella glanced back up the stairway, but turned away and nodded. "Alright. Let's go."

Both Baljeet and Ginger visibly relaxed and started hopping, talking about this and that of the castle. Isabella followed at a slightly slower pace, not really listening to them. She was thinking about the Prince and wondering when—_if_—she would ever meet him.

* * *

I know that all of you are waiting anxiously for some Ferbella interaction. Next chapter, I promise. :)

On the note of Ferb not wearing clothes: If you were a beast, completely covered in hair, and had no **human** interaction for many years, would you still be wearing pants? Think about it.

By meeting Adyson and Holly, you have now met everyone that I'm going to mention in the castle (at least, the main ones. I don't know if there will be others that I come up with yet, the muse is still withholding information).


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

They meet! Only a little interaction, but at least it's something.

Also, you find out who the bad guy is. :)

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Phineas and Ferb or Beauty and the Beast.

* * *

After eating lunch, Isabella followed Baljeet and Ginger to the main doors where Buford was waiting. He was going to take her around the grounds, and she was kind of excited. The day before she hadn't seen much because she had been in a hurry.

"You ready, Miss?" the concertina asked.

Isabella smiled at him. "Yes, but please just call me Isabella."

Buford grinned sideways. "Sure thing, Miss—er, Isabella." He pulled open the doors, somehow. _I guess if he's working outside all the time, he would figure out how to open them_, Isabella thought to herself. She followed him outside. "What would you like to see first? The stables? The track? The garden?" he asked.

"Um…I'm not sure. What would you suggest?"

Buford thought about that. "Well…let's save the stables for last. That way you can take—Jack was it?—out for a walk when we're done."

Isabella nodded. "That sounds good."

"Great! Garden first." And he was off, bouncing and humming along. She laughed silently and followed.

The garden was…okay. Isabella could tell that it _could_ be beautiful, but that it hadn't really been worked on recently. Buford looked sheepish, like he had disappointed her. "Sorry Isabella. A lot—actually pretty much everyone who worked out here in the garden and the stables became animals and never got their minds back." He nudged a bent plant back up straight. "I try to get out here when I can, but I was never good with plants. Animals are more my thing."

Isabella kneeled next to another plant that was being crowded by weeds and pulled until it was free. "Don't worry about it, Buford. I can help out here. It will give me something to do," she said.

"That's mighty nice of you, Miss."

They stayed in the garden; clearing away some of the dead plants and weeds to give others room to grow. After a while, and after they had made quite a dent in the weeds, they resumed the tour. They passed some buildings that Buford said were some old servants quarters. Isabella looked appalled—they were so run down! But, the Master Groundskeeper reassured her that they hadn't been used in a long time—everyone left lived in the castle. When they were in use, they had been in _much_ better shape.

They also passed the armory, where knights would live if they did not have a home in town. They would also store their weaponry there, and that was where they would gather when the kingdom needed an army. There was also the storehouse for keeping goods—everything from wines to potatoes. Buford explained that it was no different than the pantry inside the castle, just that the storehouse held so much more. "That way the kitchen isn't overfilled with food all of the time," he joked.

Finally, they reached the track, which was next to the stables. The grounds here looked much better—more taken care of. Buford pointed out where she could run Jack whenever she wanted, as well as where the corral was so that he could run on his own if she didn't want to ride or walk with him. When he pushed open the stable doors, he didn't even have to tell her which stable was Jack's.

Isabella ran towards the only occupied stall, reaching over to pet Jack's dark nose. "Hey boy," she whispered.

Buford watched her, smiling. "That there will be his stall whenever he is in the stables. He'll always have food and water here."

Isabella looked over at him. "Thank you." She felt Jack nuzzling her shoulder and laughed. "Do you want to go for a walk, boy?"

Jack whinnied and stomped his feet, recognizing her tone. She pulled open the stall door and grabbed his lead line, leading him outside towards the track. Buford spoke up before she got too far though. "If you get cold or bored or whatever, you can leave him in the corral. I'll be sure to put him back in a few hours or so."

"Alright Buford. Thank you," she called back, hopping up on Jack's bare back and letting him run.

* * *

She had been riding Jack for an hour or so before she felt like she was being watched again. She looked around, but saw nothing. Shaking it off, she steered the horse towards the corral, then getting off and closing the gate behind him. There was some water against the fence line that the horse was very happy to see.

She leaned against the rails and started to lose herself in a daydream. She thought about the unknown Prince, wondering what he looked like. She remembered the portrait of the Queen with green hair and wondered if he had that too. The face that came back to her was Phineas but with green hair. She started to chuckle. It didn't fit him. _His red hair is perfect_, she thought.

"Miss?" a voice said, startling her from her daydream. She turned around to see Buford looking up at her. "Are you alright Miss?"

She blinked a few times, clearing her mind. "Yes, I am. And please, call me Isabella," she said again.

"Right, sorry Isabella. Hard habit to break," Buford replied. "If you would like, I can put Jack away while you go on inside and get cleaned up for dinner."

"Dinner already?" she asked. "What time is it?"

"Nearly 17:30 (5:30pm)."

Isabella gaped at the concertina. "Really? Wow. I didn't realize." Right as she said this, her stomach growled. "I guess I will head in then. Do you need any help putting Jack away?"

"Don't worry about it Miss—" he cut off when he noticed her giving him a pointed look. "I mean, Isabella. He's in good hands with me. Off you go now."

Isabella laughed lightly. She pet Jack's nose once more, then let Buford take him back to the stables. On her way back to the castle, she became lost in thought once again—ignoring the feeling of being watched and letting Phineas invade her mind like always.

A snarl behind her broke her out of her thoughts. A chill ran down her spine. She turned slowly to see a small pack of wolves. Fear-caused adrenaline cause tears to fall and she took a step back. One wolf took a step forward, which set off the rest. All of a sudden they were leaping at her. She ran backwards, but tripped and fell. She covered her face, waiting for the pain of being torn apart, but it never came.

She noticed the sounds of fighting—barking, snarling, and growling—but did not move. Not until she was hearing whimpers as well. She peeked through a small gap in her arms and saw a large furry figure in front of her, blocking most of the view. It—he?—was fighting some of the wolves. Some had been knocked down and weren't moving, while three more were standing back away from the larger figure and…bowing? Strange. It was like they saw him as the Alpha...

She looked back at the battle commencing between the new…animal?…and the remaining wolves. One wolf launched itself at his arm, but said arm swatted him away. Another snapped at his pants (_pants_?) and he turned to grab him. She could see some matted and dirty hair—it was more than fur—falling over his forehead. A movement out of the corner of her eyes caught her attention.

A wolf was running at his exposed back. "Behind you!" she yelled (and mentally kicked herself for getting their attention—very stupid. They could attack her instead). The man-beast turned around, but wasn't fast enough. The wolf's jaws gripped his shoulder, though they would have wrapped around his neck if he hadn't moved.

The man-beast roared in pain and grabbed the wolf around its neck, throwing him at another one that was planning to attack as well. When they connected she thought she heard bones snap but decided to ignore that. The man-beast fell to all fours and roared again, but this time it was different. It wasn't because of pain, it was more of a warning.

The wolves snarled back at him but admitted defeat. The ones that could still move ran off. There were still some whimpers and whines from random lumps on the ground, but because of the sun setting, it was easier for Isabella to convince herself that they weren't really there.

Slowly, she stood up. She didn't move forwards or backwards, still a little unsure of the figure in front of her. But he _had_ saved her… She was torn, and all she could do was stare at him.

His face turned to look at her and she found it hard to breathe. Blue eyes—_human_ eyes—gazed into her own. He sighed—in disappointment? Defeat?—and tried to stand. He winced, growling in pain. That seemed to knock her back to reality and she hurried to his wounded side. As she looked it over, she didn't see the shock in his eyes as he gaped at her.

* * *

Doors flew open, causing a few startled screams. A woman stumbled forward, putting her hands on the table. She stared at the aide, panting for breath. "Where is the mayor?" she asked. "I need to see him _now_."

The redhead behind the desk leaned backwards, away from the apparently crazy person. "And you are?"

"Vivian," she replied then coughed a couple times. "Vivian Garcia-Shapero. My daughter is in danger and I need the Mayor's help."

The redhead nodded slowly. "Um…wait here. I'll go see if he is busy." She stood up and walked over to a door, only knocking on it twice before entering.

"What is it Melanie?" a male voice asked as she closed the door behind her.

"There's a, um…crazy person here who says she needs to see you," Melanie told him. "Something about her daughter being in danger."

The Mayor turned from the window he was looking out of. "Curious. Well, send her in but get some security ready in case she needs to be…restrained."

Melanie nodded and opened the door. "The Mayor can see you, Ma'am. Come on in."

Vivian rushed through the door, nearly knocking Melanie over. She didn't even wait for Melanie to leave before speaking frantically. "Mayor Roger, I need your help. My daughter. She's a prisoner. In a castle in the woods. We need to get her. There's a beast. It will eat her!"

Roger held up his hands, stopping her rant. "Whoa, Ma'am. Please sit down and start at the beginning. Would you like something to drink?" he asked, gesturing at some bottles on a shelf.

Vivian shivered from chills and took a seat. She declined a drink, but Roger still went over and poured one. Positioning himself so that she couldn't see, he picked up a small bottle and put a couple drops into the drink, making it swirl. After the coloring returned to normal, he brought it to the hysterical woman who reflexively brought it to her lips.

He went around the other side of the desk and sat in his own chair. "Now," he said, slowly and calmly. "Start at the beginning."

Vivian began to tell her story, starting with the wolves chasing her and finding the castle. About halfway through her story, her voice became monotone and her eyes glazed over. She finished by saying that her daughter was now trapped with no hope of escape from a horrible, ugly, frightening beast.

Roger waited for her to stop. He stood from his desk and walked around towards her, plucking the now empty glass from her hands. Her head started swaying on its own, showing the drug he had put in the drink and fully taken her over. "Now, Vivian. That is quite a story. But, even if it is true, there is nothing I could do about it," he said. "You see, we built this place away from any towns or villages so that there were no frightening stories or old legends. And, well, your story—a beast in a castle? That is something that could disrupt the peace we have created."

He was walking around her chair, purposefully making her dizzy. "Tell me, Vivian. Who have you told this story to?"

Her voice was flat when she spoke. "No one else. I came here first."

"Good. Good. We wouldn't want to deal with anyone else." He walked to the door and opened it, beckoning in some large men. "We are going to take you to a place for you to rest and recover now." Roger leaned over her, staring into her glazed eyes with his own dark ones. "Now don't you worry. We will take care of everything."

She nodded slowly, but didn't move. Instead, the two large men came over and picked her up by her arms, dragging her out the door. Melanie came in after they left. Roger had returned to his window overlooking the village. "Your orders, Sir?"

He took a breath, thinking. "Make sure she is put into an empty cell. Then send some of our boys over and clear out their house later tonight. Make it seem like they packed up and moved away. We don't want people asking too many questions. _We have to keep the peace_."

"Of course. I'll get right on it."

* * *

Oh my goodness. Roger is _creepy!_ Even while writing him, I shuddered. What do you guys think? I want your thoughts. Did any of you think _he_ would be the bad guy?

I don't think I will have Roger related to Doof. I actually was tempted to call him "Mayor Roger Drusselstein" but I thought I would leave it open, just in case.

Tell me what you thought of Ferb and Isabella's meeting too. Couldn't you just see Ferb going all out when defending someone? And Isabella. She's not afraid of him because A: He just saved her life. B: On a subconscious level, she understands he's the former prince (although she doesn't fully realize it until some time later). And C: I just don't want her to.

Leave me reviews! They make chapters happen faster! :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**I have to admit, I was kinda bummed out about only receiving one review for my last chapter (Thank you Vicky! Though I wish you would say more than just "Update."). That might be why it took me a while to get this chapter out. Remember, reviews make chapters faster! :)**

**A little bit of Ferbella fluff. YAY! It is more friendship fluff than romance fluff, but still.**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Phineas and Ferb or Beauty and the Beast.**

* * *

In the throne room, Buford the Concertina stood before the King. Baljeet and Ginger stood off to the side in case they were called upon to help the Master Groundskeeper explain. "So," the throne said menacingly, his eyes narrowed. "Explain to me how exactly those wolves came to be within our walls?"

Buford winced. "The gate, Sire. It was left open when we let the horse free to try and bring the girl here. They must have come in between then and when we closed it after sending the woman back to the town."

Baljeet and Ginger crowded together as their eyes switched back to the throne, waiting for the King to speak. He was silent for a moment, but eventually he did speak. "They are no longer on the grounds, correct?"

"Yes Sir. We made sure of that. The ones that were killed or critically injured in the battle were put down with mercy and buried along the outer walls," Buford explained.

The king nodded. "Good," he said. A heavy silence fell through the room for a few minutes; the servants waiting for the King to either dismiss them, or send them to the dungeons awaiting punishment. Instead, the King sighed and shifted. "Well, at least we know that there is still human awareness in the minds of the servants-turned-animals, how little it may be."

"Yes Sir," Baljeet agreed. "At least three understood not to attack the Prince."

The Throne shifted again and turned his gaze onto the book. "Ginger, tell me. Do we have any reason to hope for the curse to be broken?"

Ginger hopped forward and bowed slightly. "Your Highness. In my personal opinion, I think we do have cause for hope."

"Really?" The king asked. Ginger nodded as her response. "Tell me why you think that."

"Well Sire, after the wolves had run off, the girl—Isabella—did stare at him for a minute or so, and we all know that he dislikes to be stared at. He tried to move, but he was injured…"

* * *

**_EARLIER_**

Ferb tried to stand, but winced and growled in pain. He watched her start and expected her to run off towards the castle in fear, but she didn't. Instead, she ran forward towards him and knelt at his wounded side, looking over his shoulder. She didn't look at him, but he found himself staring at her in shock.

_She's not afraid of me_, Ferb thought, barely registering the objects from the castle coming out to help. She, however, looked over at them and said, "We need to get him inside. He is injured and needs help."

The objects looked at each other with surprise—most likely thinking along the same lines as Ferb—before splitting up. Most ran out to a nearby shed. Adyson and Ginger stayed with the two. The book looked over the bleeding wound. "We need to stop the bleeding."

The vase had the end of one arm in her mouth, looking like she was biting her fingernails (if she had fingernails). "I can run back inside and get a bandage, but it wouldn't be very fast."

Isabella shook her head. She looked at Ginger. "I'm going to have to apologize to your sister," she said before tearing off a strip from her skirt. Ferb's eyes went wide at seeing her bared leg, but he quickly looked away. Isabella began pressing the torn cloth to the wound and he hissed in pain.

She looked over at Adyson and said, "Go back inside and gather something to clean the wound and some fresh bandages."

Ginger smiled slightly. "We will meet you in the first floor Parlor."

Adyson nodded and started off towards the castle as the others came from the shed with a wagon. Isabella bit her lip looking between Ferb and the wagon—probably wondering how to get him in there—when he just moved and sat in the cart. Isabella's eyebrows rose in wonder, but she smiled in satisfaction and started helping the objects push/pull him to the castle.

On the way there, he realized that she probably thought that he was an animal—that he wasn't able to speak. After all, he hadn't said anything (except hissing, growling, and those roars at the wolves—very animalistic). He thought about never speaking to her and just letting her continue thinking that. It would be easy. He didn't speak much anyway…

But…

He _wanted_ someone to see him as _Ferb_. The servants in the castle saw him as the cursed prince—looking at him with both awe and pity (no matter how they tried to hide it, it was true.)—while his father saw Ferb either still as a child or as someone he could heap all of his expectations upon. And Vanessa… She tried, she really did. But he knew she looked at him with both sorrow and hope—sorrow at seeing him fall deeper into his depression but unable to do anything about it, and hope that something he did would return her to being human again.

As they reached the castle, Ferb was still unsure of what to do. Should he let her see him as simply an intelligent animal? Or should he let her know he was still human—on the inside. When she reached out to help him out of the cart and the smell of her hair flew past his nose, he made his decision. He would just have to wait for the right time, and gather his courage.

He hadn't spoken to anyone except the objects of the castle in the last 10 years. And before that, he had little to no interaction with other children. Both then and _definitely _now, social he was not. Where would he start?

_A thank you might be good_, a voice in his head that sounded eerily like Vanessa told him. He thought it over and agreed, so when she helped him into a seat in the Parlor, he let out a soft, "Thank you."

She froze and stared. He didn't move, just watched her out of the corner of his eye. She blinked once. Twice. Then she shook her head as if to clear it. Looking at him like he was going to sprout wings any second (he tried not to let that bother him, but it didn't work as well as he'd hoped), she responded. "I—I think I should be the one thanking you."

Ferb stayed quiet, only shrugging his shoulder noncommittally.

Isabella took a rag and a bowl of water from Adyson and started cleaning his shoulder. "Really," she said. "I would have been killed by those wolves if you hadn't come. So…" she trailed off and looked up at his face. She smiled a little, shyly. "Thank you too."

She returned back to cleaning, treating, and rewrapping his wound. Ferb watched her for a while, his eyes softening for the first time in many years. Some would say there even was a twinkle in his blue eyes.

Ginger and Baljeet, standing in the shadows by the door, grinned at the sight.

* * *

**_BACK TO THE THONE ROOM_**

There was silence after Ginger finished telling her story. No one spoke, no one moved. They just watched the King for any kind of reaction. It was obvious that he was thinking deeply upon yesterday's events and no one dared interrupt him.

Finally—after what seemed to be many hours—the throne took a deep breath. He turned to Ginger first and said, "That is good news." Then he turned to Buford, who flinched expecting to be thrown into the dungeons—or something even worse. "Buford, because nothing horrid happened, I am going to let you go."

Buford felt like the weight of the world was just lifted from him. He wanted to smile brightly, but forced his face to remain neutral. Instead he nodded politely and with gratitude.

"But," the king said, causing Buford to freeze with fear. "Do _not_ make a mistake like this again. Understood?"

"Yes, Sire." Buford said, bowing deeply and causing his instrumental self to hum.

"You all may go now," the King dismissed. "But, Baljeet." Said Abacus stilled and turned towards the throne. The royal's eyes were filled with many emotions, but none of that showed in his tone. "Keep me updated on the interactions between my son and this girl."

Baljeet tried not to smile, but he wasn't successful. "Of course, Your Majesty."

* * *

It had been a day since she had seen that mysterious… What could she call him? A beast? An animal? A person? He was somehow both all and none of those.

After their mutual "thank you"s the day before, they hadn't said anything else. Isabella had dressed his wound in silence. Silence that was only broken by Baljeet saying that dinner was ready. The…creature (what a degrading-sounding term) stood, nodded once to her, and walked _upright_ out of the room.

After pushing her confusion at exactly _what_ he was, she stood also and followed Baljeet to a dining hall.

_He _wasn't there.

She had eaten her dinner in silence, thinking about _Him_ and about what had happened earlier that day. Once finished, she had gone back to her room. After being lectured by Stacy about the state of her dress, she changed into a nightgown, and fell asleep, forcing _Him_ from her mind. And that was that…

Until this morning.

Now she was driving herself crazy. One part of her wanted to go find him, another part wanted to forget him completely, while a third part (smaller than the others) wanted to go back to the Gallery. She chose the one least likely to get her into trouble.

That was how Isabella found herself back in front of the wonderful tapestry of the stars and constellations. She didn't know how long she stood there, memorizing the different shapes against the dark sky. She probably could have stood there for hours more, but her stomach growled telling her it needed lunch.

While walking towards the kitchens, she heard a shuffling coming down some stairs behind her. She turned around. It was _Him_. He hadn't seen her yet, so she took some time to study him.

He was fingering his wounded shoulder, still wrapped nicely, and his messy hair was falling into his face (she couldn't really tell the true color of his hair, but it looked like a strange brown). His arms were muscular and his shoulders broad. He was built like a lumberjack, compared to Phineas who looked more like a runner—tall and lean.

He looked up—his blue eyes locking onto hers—and she smiled embarrassed. Neither spoke, but Isabella couldn't take the silence for very long. "How—how is your shoulder?"

He blinked, as if surprised at her question. He looked down at the bandage then back up at her. "Fine," He said simply.

She nodded, feeling awkward. What else should she say? Oh! "I forgot to do this yesterday," she said, smiling brighter. "My name is Isabella. What is yours?"

He was silent for a while—she almost thought he wasn't going to answer the question. But he finally did. "You can call me Ferb."

"Ferb?" she wondered over the name. "That is interesting."

He huffed. "Well, it's my name," he said gruffly.

Isabella's eyes widened and she back-tracked. "No! I didn't mean to offend. I just meant that it was different—unique." Seeing that she wasn't making things any better, she spilt a truth that she hadn't told anyone. "I like unique names."

Ferb stared at her and she felt like his eyes were burning through her soul, as if gauging her honesty. After a moment, she shifted from one foot to the other. "Um…I was going to see if there was something for lunch," she said, then asked softly, "Are you hungry?"

Ferb's eyes widened at the question, but he nodded. She smiled and started towards the kitchen, hearing him follow her. Maybe, just maybe, they could become friends.

* * *

**Personally, I think this chapter really captured Isabella's character. She is very kind and tries to be friendly to everyone, even if someone is beastly and covered in hair. ;p**

**While this Ferb is different than the cartoon, I also think this chapter captured his character. He's more grown up and a little bit angsty, but I could still see the same lovable little boy.**

**Your thoughts?**

**Reviews make updates faster!**


	7. Chapter 7

I really don't like this chapter. It did NOT want to be written—fought me tooth and nail. Honestly, I think it's just awful. Mostly a filler chapter, though you do get to see more of Vanessa and a little bit of the Baljeet/Buford bromance.

This chapter is also really short. Usually I have a strict 2k-plus word limit, but this one barely reaches 1.5k words. I figured that with how long this chapter took for me to write, and how many reviews I got in the last chapter, I owed you guys something.

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Phineas and Ferb or Beauty and the Beast.

* * *

Ferb huffed and he slammed the door to his quarters, startling Vanessa from her thoughts. She watched him stomp and stumble back and forth, wearing a trail in his carpet. She was cautious about asking him what had happened, not knowing if he would explode at her, but did so anyway. "Ferb? What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Ferb turned to glare at the mirror, but almost an instant after his shoulders slumped and he dropped into a beaten-up chair. He didn't say anything—not that _that_ was so surprising—but he looked so defeated. Vanessa almost asked him again, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. When the Prince simply huffed, Vanessa frowned and called, "Enter!" ignoring Ferb's scowl at her.

The door opened, letting Baljeet and Ginger enter (Vanessa never was able to figure out how they, as a book and an abacus, were able to open doors—maybe it was an extension of the magic?). "Sire?" Baljeet asked timidly. "Are you…alright?"

Ginger, more confidently, continued. "The two of you were doing so well! What happened?"

Ferb didn't reply. He just lowered his face into his hands. Vanessa frowned. "Alright! What is going on?" she exclaimed.

Baljeet jumped—apparently she had startled him—while Ginger simply looked in her direction. "The Prince and Isabella ate lunch together," Ginger said.

Vanessa's eyes widened. "Really?" she asked with an undertone of hope. Ferb heard it and sighed.

"There's no point," he murmured before either could continue. All three turned to look at him in confusion.

"No point in what?" Vanessa asked.

Ferb lifted his head from his hands and looked at the three of them. "In hoping that she will break the curse," he answered simply.

Baljeet shared a look with Ginger and Vanessa. "Um…what do you mean, Sire?"

Ferb sighed and shrugged, not responding verbally. Vanessa frowned. "Please explain, _Prince_," she said flatly, putting emphasis on the title to show her irritation at his reluctance.

He scowled at her, but did as she asked. "She won't break the curse because she is already in love with another."

"What?!" Ginger and Baljeet exclaimed.

Ferb leaned back in his chair. "She told me. A boy in the village."

Vanessa could tell he was pouting, though he was hiding it rather well. She pressed for more information. "And she said they were married?"

"No."

"Engaged?"

"…no…"

"Courting?"

Ferb shook his head slowly while Vanessa grinned.

"Well, if they are not even courting, then she has no claim on her," Vanessa said. Ferb rolled his eyes immaturely, but she didn't let him get away with it. "Prince Ferbuson!" He flinched, knowing she was being serious while Baljeet and Ginger looked startled at how she was speaking to royalty (but, she _was_ the only one around him almost constantly). "There is nothing—**_nothing_**—stopping you from trying to win her over. Nothing except yourself."

He turned his head, looking at nothing for a while. When he did speak, his voice was quiet. "What if I can't?"

Vanessa's eyes softened and she wished (not for the first time) that she could hold him. "None of us will blame or judge you if you try and it doesn't work. We only would if you gave up without trying at all."

Ferb didn't move, but in his mind he was having an internal battle with his self-doubts. He thought back to the words his father had told him when he was a child and had asked about his mother. "_It is better to have loved and lost, then to never love at all._" Could he try? Could he steal another man's woman? Granted, this _Phineas_ wasn't here…and maybe he really _didn't _have a claim on Isabella, like Vanessa suggested.

Maybe he could try… "But…how?" he asked out loud, partially to himself and partially genuinely asking for advice.

"You could be polite," Baljeet said. Ferb glared at him harshly and he backed away.

Vanessa sighed. "He didn't mean to say it like that…I hope." She glanced over at the now cowering abacus. "I think he meant that you could act like a gentleman for starters." Ferb turned his glare on Vanessa, but she had more practice in ignoring it. "Open doors for her, pull her chair out for meals, compliment her sometimes—things like that."

Ferb's glare softened and he started to think that over. "I could do that…" he murmured. "Anything else?"

It was a few minutes before anyone spoke, thinking about his question. A smile sprouted on Ginger's face. "I have an idea," she said.

* * *

Ginger hopped through a door, followed by Baljeet and Buford. "So, why are we here?" Buford asked, looking around the extremely dusty room. It looked like no one had been here in years…which was probably true.

Ginger rolled her eyes. "We are going to help Prince Ferbuson here win Isabella's heart," she replied.

Buford's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "How exactly?" he asked while Baljeet coughed against the dust.

"Well, first thing's first," the book declared. "We have to get this room clean and presentable."

"That will take weeks!" Baljeet exclaimed.

"Then it will take weeks," Ginger said, giving him a look that said 'I've already decided, so just shut up and do it.' Baljeet slumped. "Now, you boys get started. I will go find Adyson and Holly."

With that, Ginger hopped out of the room.

"Whhipsh!"

"Shut up Buford!"

* * *

**A couple weeks later**:

Isabella opened the castle doors, coming inside from visiting and riding Jack. She had mud (at least, she told herself it was mud) on her hem so she decided to hurry to her room and change before dinner. She greeted Stacy when she entered. "I think I should change before dinner," she said, looking down at herself.

Stacy chuckled. "Yes, I would say so." She opened her doors. "What dress would you like to wear for dinner then?"

Isabella smiled at Stacy and began looking through the dresses. It had been a couple weeks since she had arrived and Adyson and Holly had taken it upon themselves to make her some dresses that fit. Mostly, they had just altered the dresses that were already in Stacy's wardrobe, but they had made a couple of new dresses.

One really caught her eye and made her smile. It was a bright redish orange—exactly the shade of Phineas' hair. She pulled it out and put it on, smiling dreamily while spinning in a circle. She stopped in front of the mirror in order to admire herself.

Her smile fell.

She did _not_ look good.

"Stacy…" she murmured and turned towards the wardrobe. "What do you think…?"

Stacy didn't respond, but Isabella could see her thoughts in her eyes. She glanced back at the mirror one last time. "Yeah…I thought so too," she said before Stacy could say anything. Isabella tugged the dress off and laid it out on her bed. She stood there, in her under-things, staring at it.

How was it possible that color didn't look good on her? Every color worked on her. And that was Phineas' color! Shouldn't _it_ be one of the best?!

Stacy coughed, bringing Isabella out of her thoughts. "Sorry, Miss," Stacy said. "But it is close to dinner time…you might want to get dressed before someone comes to fetch you."

Isabella looked at her in confusion before realizing—she hadn't put a new dress on. Her face flushed and she nodded shyly. Instead of looking for a style or color, she grabbed one at random and threw it on before brushing and pulling her hair back, tying it with a bow.

She thanked Stacy and left the room before Stacy could tell her the bow didn't match the dress. She wouldn't have cared anyway. Her thoughts were still lost on Phineas. In the last few weeks that she had been here, she had thought about him nearly all the time. When she was out riding Jack, she would imagine that he was riding behind her. When she was gardening, she would put a flower in her hair and pretend that he had put it there. When she was lying in bed, falling asleep, she would imagine that he would kiss her on the forehead and whisper goodnight.

But, when she had looked at herself in that dress, those daydreams broke. She felt…lost. And she couldn't even understand or explain why the dress was what did it.

She didn't realize when she had reached the dining room, which was a testament to how comfortable she had become with the layout of the castle. She only noticed when someone said her name. Her head snapped up, startled. She gave a small smile. "Hello Ferb. I didn't see you there."

"You looked lost in thought," he observed.

She shrugged. "It's not important."

Ferb nodded in understanding and gestured towards the table. There were already plates set out of the both of them. Isabella started towards her place and was only mildly surprised when Ferb pulled her chair out for her. He had been doing that daily for a little while now. She was, however, _very_ surprised when he whispered in her ear, "You look beautiful, by the way. I like the red bow."

She turned and gaped at him, but he didn't seem to notice as he sat in his own chair. She put a hand to the bow in her hair and looked down at her dress.

It was blue.

A red bow and a blue dress… They don't go together.

But Ferb liked it?

As if sensing her confusion and wanting to pile on, Ferb announced, "I have a surprise for you after dinner," between bites.

Isabella blinked but nodded, considering her own mouth was full—did he do that on purpose? Wait to tell her when she had just taken a bite? That…that… Isabella mentally sighed in defeat.

_I wonder what it is_…

* * *

I thought the Isabella part of this chapter was just ridiculous, but I had to find _some_ way to start her thinking about someone other than Phineas.

I really hope that the next chapter will be written/posted sooner. We're_ finally_ getting into the romance/fluffy-ness between Isabella and Ferb.

Review please! And guess what Isabella's surprise is. :) Virtual cookies to who gets it right.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Finally, here it is. I felt so bad about the short chapter last week so I wrote this up about a day after I posted chapter 7...then my Internet died! It's back up though, so the next chapter should be posted faster than these last few ones have been.

Isabella's surprise! I'm actually surprised that no one guessed-there have been hints in the previous chapters-but at the same time I'm not.

Slightly higher rated thoughts in this chapter. It's not much at all, but younger readers be aware.

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Phineas and Ferb or Beauty and the Beast.

* * *

Dinner was rather quiet. All the other days, Isabella would talk and Ferb would listen, only commenting here or there. But today was different. Isabella was too wrapped up in her thoughts to make conversation and Ferb…well, he wanted to ask her if everything was alright, but he didn't know how. So they just sat in silence.

Ferb had been finished for a while, just watching her. She was eating slowly—kind of distractedly too. She didn't even look over at him once. He waited until she started pushing what was left of her meal around her plate more than she was eating it. He cleared his throat, causing her to jump in surprise and look up. "Are you ready?" he asked with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. _Did I do something wrong?_ he couldn't help wondering.

Isabella blinked in confusion. "Ready…?"

"For your surprise."

Isabella's eyes widened and began to sparkle in excitement. "Oh, yes. I am." She started to stand and was surprised when suddenly he was there, pulling her chair out and offering her his furry arm. _He moves fast_.

Ferb felt his shoulders relax in relief when he saw her excitement. He even chuckled when she asked, "So…what is it?"

He gave her a wry look (to her, his blue eyes looked bright and playful—almost like a puppy's) and he shook his head, telling her silently that he wasn't going to spill.

"Can I guess?" she asked. He nodded, so she started thinking aloud. "Well, we're not going outside, so it's not the gardens. And we've already passed the gallery, so it's not a painting." He led her up a flight of stairs. "Upstairs, huh? Are you going to show me some secret passages? Maybe a labyrinth of some sort? Or maybe it's a treasure room where there's jewels and things."

She kept guessing, some of her suggestions actually making Ferb laugh lightly. When Isabella noticed this, she started coming up with some rather silly and insane ideas. "You have a unicorn hidden away. Or a room completely filled with butterflies. Oh! Giant butterflies. Or a time machine! Is that it? That's it, isn't it?" she declared with a grin, watching him chuckle.

He caught her eye, but didn't shy away—this time. He stopped them and faced her, his black nose almost touching hers. "You can guess all you want, but I'm not going to tell you."

Isabella smiled brightly and nodded, ignoring her heart pounding. "Fine…it's not a time machine."

Ferb shook his head at her playfulness, resuming leading her down the hall and up a couple more flights of stairs. They finally stopped outside of a plain looking door. He turned to her again. "Close your eyes," he requested softly, making it seem more like a question than an order.

Isabella raised an eyebrow and looked at him suspiciously, but she did as he asked. With her eyes closed she heard him open the door, then felt him grab both of her hands and pull her forwards through the doorway. He had her walk forward for a few steps before having her stop. She took a guess that she was in the middle of the room.

"Wait here," he whispered and Isabella heard him move away. She waited for just a little bit, and then he said, "Okay, open your eyes."

She did so, blinking a few times. Then she gasped.

They were in a tower—even the brick walls were rounded to make the room a circle. Along the walls were dozens of paintings and framed sketches of constellations—so many that it almost created a night sky on the walls. On one side of the room there were a couple of windows, a bookshelf filled with books, and a small table. On the other side of the room there were a flight of stairs that circled around, going up towards the top of the tower. She could see a balcony, but couldn't see what was up there.

Ferb was standing next to the stairs, looking a little nervous. She looked back up at the balcony that she could barely see and whispered, "What's up there?"

The man-beast merely raised a hand, offering it to her. She grasped it and followed him up the stairs. The balcony was pretty much bare, only a couple of benches along the railings separating it from the gap to the floor below. However, there was a set of French doors that opened up to an outdoor deck. On the deck there were more benches and a _telescope_.

Isabella gasped and let go of Ferb, going through the open doors and running her hand over the telescope. She looked up at the sky (already dark and stars were sparkling down at her). Steading herself, she bent forward and looked through the eye-piece. A whole new world opened up to her, taking her breath away.

She had always wanted to look through a telescope. The village didn't have one, and before that she just never had the opportunity. She had once found a small scope in one of the cities she visited with her mother (before they had settled in the village), but it was too expensive to buy and it was daytime, so there wasn't very much to see anyway.

She heard shuffling behind her and turned around. Ferb stood a ways away, not wanting to disrupt her moment. When she turned, he smiled at her. "Do you like it?" he asked.

She smiled broadly. "I _love_ it. This is amazing." She looked back up at the stars, hearing him step closer. "I've always wanted to learn more about the stars. Imagine if you were able to _go_ out there—what an adventure!"

Ferb simply nodded, smiling at her. He turned his eyes up to the sky for a moment, then looked again at her out of the corner of his eye. "Ginger told me you liked the tapestry of the constellations in the Gallery. How many do you know?" he asked.

Isabella blushed lightly. "Not as much as I wish I did. I know," she pointed up at the stars. "Ursa Major." She pointed in another area of the sky. "And I know the Archer. I know some others, but not their names."

"Which ones?" Ferb asked.

She looked across the sky before finding one she knew. "That one that looks like a zig-zag…"

"That is Cygnus," Ferb said, ignoring her looking at him in amazement. "It is the swan. It represents freedom."

"Wow," she breathed. "What others do you know?"

He grinned. "I know a lot, actually. Like that one there," he pointed to a cluster of stars. "Is Andromeda, the princess. And that one there is Cassiopeia, the queen. Then over there is the wolf, Lupus."

Isabella gazed out there in wonder. "That is so interesting."

"Those books down the stairs; they are all about the stars and constellations. You're welcome to go through any of them."

Her eyes widened with excitement. "Really?"

Ferb smiled. "Of course. This room is now yours, and everything in it."

* * *

Isabella was laying on her bed, looking through a book on constellations and explaining them to Stacy. "Did you know that there is a constellation depicting the Grecian hero Heracles?"

"Really?" Stacy asked, genuinely interested. "I've always found the myth of Heracles and the trials he went through to be fascinating."

Before Isabella could respond, a knock sounded at the door. "Come in," she called, sitting up and setting her book aside.

Ginger poked the top of her book around the door. "Hello, Isabella," she said, hopping inside and closing the door. "Did you like the Observatory?"

Isabella beamed. "Oh yes! It was amazing. I have never seen anything like it. And the telescope! That was so beautiful! And you could see the stars so clearly through it. They have so many different colors."

Stacy laughed. "She's been talking about it non-stop since she came in. I don't think she's going to sleep at all tonight."

Isabella threw one of her (many) pillows at the wardrobe. All three girls broke down into giggles. When they calmed down, Isabella faced Ginger. "Really, thanks. Ferb told me that you were the one who mentioned the tapestry in the Gallery."

Ginger smiled kindly at her and brushed her thanks aside. "It was his idea to bring you to the Observatory, not mine." Okay, that might not be the complete truth. She may have been leading to that idea when she mentioned that tapestry, but he still brought it up first.

The human girl smiled shyly, not quite sure of what to say to that.

There was silence for a moment, then Stacy asked something that she had been wondering about. "Isabella, was something bothering you earlier this evening?"

Isabella looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

"When you came in to get changed after riding, you were acting…well, dreamy for lack of a better word. Then all of a sudden, it changed and you became sad and distracted."

Isabella looked down at her hands folded in her lap. "Oh, that…" She wasn't sure where to start, but she actually felt like she wanted to tell someone. _Maybe they can help settle my confusion_, she thought. She took a breath and stood up. She walked over to where she had laid the red/orange dress on her desk chair and brought it over to her bed.

Ginger hopped up onto the bed, instinctively realizing there was a story coming. Stacy moved closer, thinking the same thing.

Isabella folded the dress in her lap, then began. "So, you saw earlier that this color did not go well with my complexion. Well…" she changed tactics. Looking up at Stacy, she asked, "You remember me telling you about Phineas?"

Ginger looked confused, not knowing who Phineas was. Stacy nodded. "Yes, he's the furniture maker in the village that you are infatuated with." Ginger gaped at her sister in shock, but Stacy frowned at her when Isabella looked away, telling her to be silent.

"Yes," Isabella continued. "Well, this is almost his _exact_ hair color. I guess, when I saw how…_awful_ it looked on me…" she trailed off, but the two sisters understood.

The room was silent for a moment. Then Stacy had an idea. "Did I ever tell you that I was in love once? Before the Change?"

Isabella looked at her, very interested. "No, you didn't."

Stacy smiled brightly. "Yes. His name was Coltrane. He worked out in the stables with Buford. He was so sweet and caring, with deep dark eyes and big hands."

Ginger giggled. "You always did like those big hands of his," she teased. Stacy huffed at her sister.

Isabella smiled at them, then she frowned in thought. "What happened to him? After the Change?"

Stacy grew somber. "I'm not sure. He must have been changed into an animal. All of the castle helpers who were turned into animals had left before we all woke up."

"We think that the human minds fought with the animal nature, and the animal nature won," Ginger explained.

Isabella looked at Stacy with compassion, knowing that if it were her who had lost her love, she would have been lost herself. "You must miss him terribly," she murmured.

Stacy gave her a sad smile and then turned to look out the window. "Yes, I do… I just wish I could know if he was alright."

The mood was now thoroughly depressing. Stacy had been trying to lift Isabella's spirits, and now Ginger decided it was her turn to try. "I was in love too…still am, actually," she said, giving her sister a caring look, telling her that she really wasn't trying to be mean about it.

Stacy smiled back at her, understanding. "Yes, her and Baljeet have been going strong for a good long time."

Isabella hid a smile behind her hand. "You and Baljeet?"

Ginger smiled big. "Yes. Now, you want to talk about a sweetheart, there you go. He is without a doubt one of _the_ sweetest guys in the world."

Stacy scoffed playfully. "Yes, but he's still a brainiac and completely rule-abiding."

Isabella started laughing as they bickered. She thought that if these siblings weren't a book and a wardrobe, they would be wrestling by now. She thought back on what they had said about their respective loves and she started wondering something. "I have a question…if you are done fighting for a minute or so," she asked teasingly.

Stacy and Ginger calmed down. "Yes?" the elder asked. "What is it?"

Isabella thought about how to best word her question. "How…how did you _know_ you were in love?"

The other two girls paused, thinking it over. Ginger's brow furrowed. "You just…_know_… Like there is no doubt in your mind at all."

Stacy nodded in agreement, but could see Isabella wanted to know more. "Well…" she started, her eyes lighting up from remembering Coltrane. "When you are together—or even when you just think about him—your heart starts to pound so hard you feel like it's going to burst right out of your chest."

Ginger grinned dreamily. "And you feel like your head is flying away up in the clouds and you feel like you're going to float away."

"And…you just want to run your hands all over him and hold him and kiss him and never let go," Stacy finished.

"Really?" Isabella asked. This sounded wonderful.

The older sister nodded. "There's a passion there that surpasses everything else."

Ginger nodded, then she grinned playfully. "Yeah, but my favorite part is corrupting him." The other two turned to stare at her with a mix of worry and suspicion. "What?" she asked, teasing them.

"So…" Isabella started. "It _is_ like the fairytale romance."

"No." Stacy said bluntly. Isabella blinked in surprise. "I mean, yes, there is some romance. But it's _so_ much more than that. There is also that mutual need… It is like you physically, mentally, and emotionally _crave_ them constantly—their touch, their smile, their happiness…their love."

Ginger nodded, fully agreeing with her sister. "That is one thing I dislike about being an object. You can't be physical with anyone. There is no hugging, no holding, no kissing… I really miss it."

Isabella's eyes were wide at those thoughts. "Oh," she murmured, losing herself in thought.

Stacy and Ginger noticed they were losing her to her own mind, so they decided to call it a night. Ginger hopped out the door, returning to wherever she went to at night, while Stacy returned to a far corner, giving Isabella some privacy. "Good night, Isabella."

Said young woman hardly noticed, moving mechanically, dimming the lights and getting under her covers. She was still lost in thought. Through the years of her crush on Phineas, she never fantasized about kissing him, not really. She thought about kissing on the cheek or on the forehead, like when giving/receiving a gift or going to sleep—like a parent to a child when tucking them in. But that's not what a couple does when going to sleep.

She was always just so blinded by the romantic idea of Phineas that she never gave it deeper thoughts. Now that she was, she decided to be honest with herself. Could she imagine a future with Phineas? Could she picture herself kissing him? Holding him? _Touching_ him?

Her most honest answer… No. She couldn't… Her imagined world started falling apart around her.

How was she supposed to get to sleep now?

* * *

So, I know that a lot of what I said about love is more like lust, but I needed for Isabella to realize that there is more to being in love than just sugar sweet romance.

Tell me what you thought of Isabella's surprise!

Review please!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Oh goodness! Two weeks since my last update. So sorry! I am trying to post a chapter a week, but I've been busy. :(

This chapter does have some Ferbella fluff, if that makes up for being late and for the chapter being a bit short.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Phineas and Ferb or Beauty and the Beast.

* * *

She had visited the Observatory every night since Ferb had given it to her—he had actually _given it to her!_ Isabella could do anything she wanted in there, like move around the furniture or add some others. The only thing he said she couldn't do was move her bed in there. It wasn't _that_ cold…yet…

Anyway, the days weren't near as fun. Yes, there were some stars up during the day (and that had blown her mind!), but the telescope wasn't good enough to study them with the sun so bright. It was just limited by the technology of the time. She had mentioned that to Ferb, but he didn't comment on it…although, he did get a sparkle in his eye for some reason.

Since she couldn't view the stars, her days were spent mostly outside. Sometimes she would just ride Jack around the track. But some days, like today, she found herself in the gardens. It was surprisingly peaceful. Originally, when Buford had showed her the gardens, she thought it would simply give her something to do when she got bored. She never actually expected to enjoy it.

She was picking weeds and some of the smaller, unbloomed flower buds to help make room for the thriving ones. After picking the last one, she sat back and admired the flower bed. A movement on the other side of the greenhouse caught her eye and she looked up. Isabella couldn't help the smile on her face with what she saw.

Ferb was effortlessly using a heavy watering can on a vegetable bed. He looked so out of place in the green house, with broad shoulders, standing close to 7 feet tall, and covered with fur. His beastly appearance looked scary, but watching him working gently with the plants completely counteracted his appearance. She couldn't see his eyes because his hair was falling over them… And she _still _couldn't tell what color his hair was and at had been weeks!

Isabella frowned at that thought. Was it weeks? Or was it months? _How long have I been here_? she thought.

* * *

Ferb turned from putting the watering can away and noticed Isabella lost in thought. He almost went over to bring her back to reality, but decided against it. He had learned that she'd snap out of it soon enough. He bent down to grab a bag of fertilizer, and nearly dropped it when Isabella started laughing. He spun around to look at her, kind of offended, but she wasn't laughing at him. She was shaking her head, like she couldn't believe something.

Isabella noticed that he was looking at her in confusion and covered her giggles with a hand. "Sorry, sorry. I was just thinking." Ferb gave her a look that said '_what about?_' Isabella grinned. "I had lost track of how long I had been here and I just realized that my birthday is in a few days."

Ferb blinked in shock. Her birthday was soon? Wait…she had lost track of how long she had been here? _What did that mean?_ he wondered. _Was she…_enjoying_ herself?_ Ferb actually really hoped so.

_Ferb, focus! Isabella's birthday_, he told himself. "Wow, really?" he asked, keeping his uncertainty out of his voice.

"Yeah. Ridiculous isn't it? How does someone forget their own birthday?" she said. Then she started talking about her past birthdays, but Ferb was only half listening. He _would_ take note of what Isabella said when she would get excited over some things; such as decorations, flowers, her favorite cake, etc. He was even able to learn the exact date instead of "in a few days".

Four days. He had four days to put everything into place.

It barely registered when Isabella said she was getting hungry. He nodded, distractedly, only realizing what she actually said when she stood and started hanging up her garden gloves and apron. Ferb shook himself out of his thoughts and followed her lead, parting ways inside the castle when she went to get cleaned up.

Ferb's eyes followed her as she went up the stairway, a small smile on his face. When she was out of sight, he rushed into the dining hall where the cursed servants were preparing for dinner. Catching Baljeet's attention, he motioned him over.

"Yes, Sire?" Baljeet asked, wondering what the Prince wanted with him.

Ferb grinned slightly. "Isabella's birthday is in four days and I want to do something special to celebrate."

Baljeet's eyes widened. "Her birthday?" Ferb nodded and the abacus smiled brightly. "Alright, we can put something together in four days. How special?"

Ferb was quiet for a moment, putting an outline together in his mind. "A formal dinner, I think. She'll need a dress, a cake—red velvet, I believe. And don't say anything to her," Ferb ordered. "I want to make it a surprise."

Baljeet nodded, mentally filing everything away. "Dinner is almost ready Sire. Would you like me to visit your quarters afterwards and we can work out more details?"

Ferb nodded just before Isabella walked in wearing her favorite pink dress that she had worn her first day here. She smiled at him and Ferb felt his heart beating wildly.

He really hoped she liked her birthday.

* * *

The morning of Isabella's birthday, she woke up feeling a little sad. Every morning, she would wake up to the smells of a fancy breakfast that her mom made. Isabella felt homesick for the first time in a while. She closed her eyes, imagining that she was back home with her mom, ready to eat her birthday breakfast. She could almost smell the sausage and pancakes.

She was brought out of her daydream by a knock at the door. She grabbed her housecoat and put it on over her nightgown before opening her door. Her eyes widened at the sight on the other side.

It was a good thing that she had put on her housecoat because Ferb was there…and he was holding a tray loaded with sausage, eggs, and pancakes.

He cracked a grin at her stunned expression and quipped, "Happy Birthday."

"Um…uh…huh?...er…" she replied very articulately. She closed her eyes and shook her head to clear her mind. Then she looked up at him with a smile on her face, ignoring the fact he was close to bursting with laughter. "Thank you."

Ferb chuckled a couple of times before calming himself and holding up the tray. "Where to?"

She looked back at the tray. There was more food then she would be able to eat. She bit her lip for a moment, then she asked rather shyly, "Would you like to eat with me?"

Ferb's eyes widened at that. "Er…I'd love to," he forced out. "But…there's only one plate…"

She smiled, feeling more confident at his answer. "I'll wait here," she said simply, grabbing hold of the tray and turning away, walking further into the room.

Ferb, not really knowing what he was—or even should be—feeling, also turned away and went back to the kitchen to grab another plate, a set of silverware, and a glass of juice. He felt a sort of trepidation on his way back up to her room. What he saw, though, made him relax.

Isabella had grabbed a throw blanket from somewhere and had laid it on the floor with the tray in the middle, making it like a picnic. Isabella was sitting at her vanity brushing her hair. When she saw him in her mirror, she smiled and moved from the vanity to the blanket. She gestured to a spot next to her and Ferb settled down.

Isabella grabbed his plate and portioned out the food onto each plate. "This is a lot of food."

"We weren't sure what you liked best," Ferb explained. "So we made more of each, just in case you liked one more than the others."

Isabella nodded in understanding. "Well, it worked out perfectly," she said smiling at him.

If he wasn't covered in fur, he'd be blushing quite noticeably. He didn't know what to say to that, so he just took a bite of his pancakes.

Isabella smirked behind her glass of juice at his unsure posture. She took a sip, but almost immediately spat it out. "What kind of juice is this?" she asked.

"That is peach juice. I know it is different, but I prefer it over orange juice," Ferb answered. "Do you not like it? I can go get you something else."

"No, it was just…unexpected." She took another sip. "It's actually really good."

They continued talking over breakfast. They were enjoying themselves very much, and Isabella didn't even realize that Stacy wasn't in the room until after Ferb had left with the dishes.

"Happy birthday, Isabella!" Stacy announced, sliding through the door. "Did you have fun over breakfast?" she teased.

Isabella looked confused, but smiled involuntarily at the mention of breakfast. "Yes, I did. And thank you for the birthday wishes." She walked over and closed the door behind the wardrobe. "So, where did you go?" she asked.

"Oh, I just had something that I needed to do," the wardrobe said, evading the question. She opened the door to her hanging space, letting Isabella pick out a plain dress. "Do you have any plans for your birthday?"

"No," Isabella said. "I was just going to go out to the stables for a while, but that was about it. Why?"

Stacy just grinned. "I was just wondering. I hope you have fun out there."

The birthday girl smiled back and left the room. After she was gone, Stacy opened her doors again. "Okay, she's gone." Two drawers popped open. Ginger and Holly hopped out. "Alright girls! We have until 4-o-clock tonight to get everything ready," Stacy barked, sounding like a militia commander. "You know what your tasks are for tonight, so time to get to work!"

"Yes Ma'am!" Ginger and Holly said in unison as they hopped around the room, cleaning here and there.

Stacy closed her doors and a shuffling was heard from inside. When she opened them again, only one dress was hanging on the rack and matching shoes sat underneath it.

Holly hopped back over to her and grabbed a thin box out of one of Stacy's drawers. She placed that on the (now cleared) vanity.

Once the bed was made, the used linens gone from the floor, and the tray of dirty dishes ready to go to the kitchens, the girls smiled mischievously at each other.

"This is going to be a fun day," Ginger said.

* * *

The next chapter will be the ball (you can't have Beauty and the Beast without the ball, right?) so there are only two or three more chapters left in this story. There might be more, but it depends on how well my muse is feeling. But don't worry! Because I have lots of other Ferbella ideas in the works.

Review please!


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